Eastern Whipbird in suburbia?

["Ken Black via Canberrabirds " <>]

Howe had a Whipbird in our next door neighbour’s house a couple of months ago - in Fraser - had heard it over a few days, then saw very briefly.

Haven’t heard it for over a month now.

Ken

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From: Canberrabirds <> on behalf of Sonya Duus via Canberrabirds <>
Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2025 7:38:34 PM
To: Kim Farley <>
Cc: COG bird list <>
Subject: Re: [Canberrabirds] Eastern Whipbird in suburbia?

 

Thanks Kim and everyone.

An exciting update: I knocked on the door and spoke with the owners of the house and lovely garden where I last heard the bird this morning. They confirmed that they have at least one Whipbird living between their garden and their neighbour's garden at the moment. It came for the first time last summer and stayed until at least May before disappearing, but turned up again around September this year.

They described the bird/s as being quite friendly, and they generously shared a photo and video, which I have attached/pasted below (though unfortunately the video lost resolution when it was sent to me). I don't think there is anything else it could be...?

Cheers,

Sonya

 

On Sat, 29 Nov 2025 at 16:55, Kim Farley <> wrote:

Hi all 

I am late to this conversation so apologies if others have already said this, but the other species that makes a bit of a whip is Golden Whistler. And potentially more likely passing through the suburbs than Whipbird (through bit later in the season than one would expect)?

Kim

On Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 3:56 PM Sonya Duus via Canberrabirds <> wrote:

Thanks John,

The only thing about this one is that it doesn't make any other part of the whistler song - just the whip. I will try to track it down with binos when I get a chance!

Cheers,

Sonya

On Sat, 29 Nov 2025 at 15:40, john harris <> wrote:

Hi Sonya,

The rufous whistler has a very definite 'whip'. I hear it almost every day in Gungahlin. Sometimes it is almost as obvious as the whipbird itself, mostly a little less striking, but an obvious whip.

Cheers John

On Sat, Nov 29, 2025 at 8:21 AM Sonya Duus via Canberrabirds <> wrote:

I regularly hear what sounds like an Eastern Whipbird in the streets just below Sulwood Drive/Mt Taylor in Kambah. 

I haven't seen the bird/s, but this morning I took some recordings on my phone and have attached one here (though it is very faint, so you will probably need to put your ear up to the speaker).

Could this be any other species? If it is an Eastern Whipbird, I would be interested to hear about other people's observations of this species in suburbia.

Thanks,

Sonya

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